SEOUL, September 05 (AJP) -South Korea is on track to achieve a $1 trillion annual export milestone, with the customs chief flagging that the country has already topped last year's full-year record with 117 days to spare.
Cumulative exports reached $709.4 billion as of 1 p.m. Saturday, surpassing the previous annual record of $709.3 billion set in 2025, Korea Customs Service Commissioner Lee Jong-wook said in a post on his social media page. The country took just 248 days to exceed last year's full-year total.
President Lee Jae Myung shared the posting to celebrate the feat.
"Despite an uncertain trade environment marked by stronger protectionism, the restructuring of global supply chains and the situation in the Middle East, our exports are continuing their remarkable growth," the commissioner said.
If the current pace is maintained, annual exports could reach $1 trillion around early December, he added.
Crossing the threshold would put South Korea among a small group of major exporting economies. According to Lee, only the United States, China and Germany have previously recorded annual exports of more than $1 trillion.
The latest milestone underscores the strength of Korea's export rebound, led by semiconductors but increasingly supported by a wider range of products.
Semiconductor exports surged 169.6 percent from a year earlier in the January-August period, according to figures cited by Lee.
Exports of computer peripherals jumped 262.2 percent over the same period, while petroleum products rose 40.7 percent and wireless communication devices gained 28.1 percent. Ship exports increased 12.4 percent.
Lee said the simultaneous growth across several major export categories was significant as Korea navigates a more difficult global trading environment.
The sharp expansion in semiconductor shipments has remained the biggest driver of Korea's export performance, benefiting from strong global demand for advanced memory and computing infrastructure.
Other industries have also contributed as Korean manufacturers expand shipments despite trade barriers, geopolitical uncertainty and shifting global supply chains.
Lee credited the performance to the efforts of Korean companies and workers and said the government would continue pushing toward the longer-term goals of $1 trillion in exports and per-capita national income of $50,000.
AJP Takeaways
- South Korea’s cumulative exports reached $709.4 billion by early Sept. 5, already topping the record $709.3 billion shipped in all of 2025 with 117 days left in the year.
- Customs chief Lee Jong-wook said the current pace could lift annual exports above $1 trillion in early December, a threshold previously reached only by the United States, China and Germany.
- Semiconductors are driving the boom, with January-August shipments up 169.6 percent, while computers, petroleum products, wireless devices and ships also posted strong gains.
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